Small talk: From the mouths of babes, answers to some of life’s tougher questions

Kids think they have all the answers. And maybe they do. We put a few to the test, sending out a Q&A to youngsters age 5 to 16.

Most of our participants were born after the millenium. They don’t remember using payphones. They’ll never know the frustration of dial-up Internet. But there’s a lot of wisdom to glean from their young minds, as our questionnaire proves.

We asked everything from the serious (what would you do if you were president?) to the silly (if you could be a sound, what would you be?) and were surprised by many of the answers. It’s true: Kids really do say the darndest things.

Photos by Cramer Photo

Boy wonder

Erik Rebhorn

Age: 5

Attends: Cale Elementary School

Likes: TV, candy, Star Wars.

Dislikes: His sister’s puppy dog face.

What would you do if you were president? Make Leo [his friend from daycare] the mayor even though no one else in kindergarten knows him.

What advice would you give your parents? Be the guards of me and do nice things to me.

If you grew up to be famous, what would you want to be famous for? Looking up into space.

At what age is a person an adult? What makes you think so? 20, because the oldest teenager is 19.

What’s the hardest thing about being a kid? Moms and dads get to do a lot of things that kids don’t, like being the boss of a conference.

What do you think life will be like in five years? I can be the same size as my sister even though she is three years older than me and will be 13.

How do you know if you’re in love? When I’m with my mom.

What do you know how to do that you can teach to others? Reading.

If you could be a sound, what would you be? A rifle gun blasting.

If you could choose a new name for yourself, what would it be? I like my name.

If you could invent something that would make life easier for people, what would you invent? Something that makes parents be kids so we could do whatever we want.

Summer may be over, but the fun doesn’t have to stop there. After the beach trips and visits to train museums, the start of the school year brings its own kind of magic, between new supplies and unfamiliar faces and environments. In this issue, we’re checking in with public schools—what changed

In P.L. Travers’ Mary Poppins series, the beloved nanny is blown by the East wind to Number 17 Cherry Tree Ln., home of the Banks family, which just happens to need a nanny at that very moment. Mary agrees to stay “till the wind changes.” Under her stern but loving care, Jane and Michael Banks

If you’re looking for a spicy night of dancing, not much beats Beleza. With a sound rooted in Latin- American and Spanish flamenco traditions—including lyrics sung in Portuguese, Spanish and English—the group performs either as a duo or a full band, and serves as the vehicle for the creative

As temperatures drop and water attractions become less appealing, don’t let that keep you from venturing outdoors. Whether it’s soaring through a Shenandoah Valley forest, soaking up Blue Ridge Mountain views or exploring area biking trails, these four family-friendly activities will get you

Most gardens reflect a gardener’s care and dedication. At the Albemarle home of Lucy and Robert Huff, the landscape is also, in a sense, a gallery of souvenirs. The couple have amassed not only plant specimens given as gifts by family and friends, but garden concepts collected on their travels.

To make something from nothing requires a certain amount of optimism. To make something from something? That requires some elbow grease. No problem, says designer Caroline Faulconer, who regularly takes neglected pieces and breathes new life into them. “When designing a space, the ability to

When Piedmont Family YMCA CEO Jessica Maslaney was still a program director for the Y back in 2009, she tagged along on a tour of regional Y facilities with local VMDO architects to look at design ideas. “I think they invited me because I was an English major in college, and so I was the […]

Local lovers of native plants have a new mecca: the Quarry Gardens in Schuyler, where owners Armand and Bernice Thieblot opened 40 acres of native habitat to visitors just this spring. Those visitors will enter through a structure designed to complement the gardens’ eco-minded mission. “This

Ruth Martin & Dan McDonald September 18, 2016, at Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards Photography by Jen Fariello With the views from Pippin Hill as the backdrop, Ruth and Dan knew they wanted to keep the rest of the wedding simple and romantic. That meant lush greenery, white hydrangeas and

Christopher Matvey & Michael O’Connor July 30, 2016, at Veritas Vineyard & Winery Photography by Tom Daly Classic, elegant and timeless: That was the goal of the wedding. So Christopher and Michael chose a white and gold color scheme with black accents. Inspired by The Great Gatsby

Katie Brazeal & Halston Kirkpatrick July 2, 2016, at Blue Ridge Farm Photography by Jen Fariello Once they decided on a location and date, they fully embraced the “summer” theme: “Blue was a defining color,” Katie says. “We created an atmosphere that was more on the informal side, while

As they say, lovelies, a picture is worth a thousand words. And Candy Girl has quite a few choice ones for when a night of being fabulous and having a blast turns up on Facebook with everyone looking somehow both washed out and blotchy, and a bit like they were hanging out in a condemned […]

One day last winter, Cathy Stapleton attended a wedding. Everything was, as she puts it, painstakingly planned (“even the weather cooperated”). But when it came time for the wedding toasts, things spun out of control. “The best man gave a lengthy speech that started out fairly amusing but went

An officiant could be considered the conductor of your wedding ceremony. And whether you want one that’s classical or something a bit jazzier, our area offers many options. We asked Dave Norris and Claire Frances to tell us more about how they set the tempo. Dave Norris (above) How long have

A lot happens between the moment couples say “Yes!” and “I do!” There’s choosing a date, finding the perfect venue, crossing your fingers that the perfect venue is open on that chosen date, cake tastings, dress fittings, suit tailoring, picking a DJ (or do you want a band?). Even something

“Rustic elegance,” says Blue Ridge AV & Lighting’s Bill Randall, is the style Charlottesville couples are most interested in right now. But how does that translate to lighting? And what if you want a lighting feature but don’t want it to overwhelm your overall aesthetic? We asked Randall to

For some couples, a wedding day alone can’t contain the love for one another, their family and their friends. Couples are opting to plan a wedding weekend—it may be more fun, but it’s also more to consider. Wedding planner, designer, coordinator and consultant Colleen Miller of Colleen Miller

Before “I do!” comes “Will you?,” and Charlottesville is full of beautiful spots to pop the question. For outdoorsy types, there’s always Carter Mountain, which overlooks the city; Humpback Rock at sunrise (or any time—that view can’t be beat); or White Rock Falls in the Blue Ridge Parkway in

When Carl and Khabira Wise spoke to us for this story, it was late afternoon and they were sitting in their pool. “We normally have pool time around 4 o’clock,” says Khabira. That’s a routine the couple has quickly established just this year, in the brand-new pool that was just installed behind

The first time Staci Vinson and Robyn Templeton walked into their house—even though it was still under construction—they had the feeling they’d been there before. “We’d been drawing this house on napkins at happy hours for 10 years,” says Templeton. The serendipitous part was that Jason